


Pursuit

by Twyd



Category: Durarara!!
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe, Angst, Blackmail, Developing Relationship, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Jealousy, Love Triangles, M/M, Organized Crime, Race
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:48:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23737108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twyd/pseuds/Twyd
Summary: In an alpha and omega world, omegas must be able to outrun their suitors in what is known as ‘The Pursuit.’ Most omegas put up a good show, but finally let themselves be caught when they are pursued by an alpha they actually want.Izaya is a famed omega who can outrun anyone and anything, and he wants to keep it that way. Being pursued by Shizuo Heiwajima is not going to change that.Shikizaya in the background only.
Relationships: Heiwajima Shizuo/Orihara Izaya, Orihara Izaya/Shiki Haruya
Comments: 5
Kudos: 122
Collections: Shizaya*





	Pursuit

There is a high turnout. Any pursuit that involved either Izaya or Shizuo was bound to be good entertainment, but putting them together appeared to have made the whole city turn out.

The route began at the edge of Tokyo, wound through the countryside and ended at the shoreline of Zushi beach. Crowds would gather at the start line and then take the train to the beach, at the finish line. This will be Izaya’s tenth pursuit. He found it amusing at first, but they were getting tiresome, and he almost wishes he’d opted out when he had the chance.

Shiki, however, is present at every single one of his pursuits, and Izaya can’t help himself. He likes to show off.

Izaya wonders if Shiki would be his next pursuer, if he would like him to be. The most powerful alphas generally waited until an omega’s fifth or sixth race, so they could assess their standards and their stamina. Izaya drew extra attention because he was a virgin; it made his scent stronger, the race tighter, the bets higher. If he had to be with someone he wouldn’t mind if it were Shiki, but he didn’t want to be with anyone at all. The whole tradition was pathetic.

Shizuo, of course, is furious at the lottery system that has paired them up. For once they are in agreement over somethng. Izaya only hopes that his fury won’t give him extra strength, and that his monster brain will remember that, for once, he doesn’t _want_ to catch Izaya, or they would be stuck together. 

It is Shizuo’s first pursuit. They should really disqualify monsters, Izaya had pointed out, but his point was not taken on board.

Today, for the first time, he feels slightly sick. It was all in good fun, and the omegas’ health was supposedly protected, with wardens on site constantly. Izaya normally enjoyed it. Although he thought the whole thing was pathetic, he also found it pretty funny. But there has always been an unease at the back of his mind, the feeling of a lamb being put to slaughter, with the world watching and cheering. He’s not stupid. He knows more people would be rooting for Shizuo than him.

Shiki knocks and lets himself in. As one of the major sponsors of the pursuits, he is allowed in the omega private quarters of the stands.

“You look worried,” he observes.

“Thanks.”

“I hope you win. I’ve got a lot of money on you.”

“You say it like there’s a chance I _won’t_ win.”

Shiki smiles, but he is looking at him closely. “ _Are_ you getting tired?” he asks mildly. “Your tenth race is quite impressive.”

“Yes, but they space them out nicely, and I have plenty of practice running from Shizu-chan.” He pauses. “Why, Shiki-san? Are you thinking of pursuing me yourself?”

“Maybe I am.”

A wave of emotions goes through him. 

Shiki continues, “You know, when a pursuit is rigged, they send another alpha to fool around with the omega. It makes the pursuer run faster, because he can smell another alpha on his potential mate.”

Shiki approaches Izaya as he speaks, until he’s backed the informant against the wall. He nuzzles Izaya’s neck gently. 

“You want me to lose then?” Izaya manages to speak.

“People place more bets when the race is close.” He pauses. “Besides, it might make things more interesting for you. Tenth race, you must be getting bored.” He chuckles and draws away. “But I don’t want to distract you. I can’t be your pursuer if you don’t win this one first.”

“Who says I want you?”

Shiki smiles. “We’ll see, won’t we? I wish you the very best of luck.”

-

The starting time approaches. 50 miles. Izaya would be given a headstart based on his height and weight compared to Shizuo. Not that he needed one. Not all pursuits were televised, but of course this one was. Again, a wave of nausea ripples in his stomach, and he wills it away.

The wardens check him over one last time. He considers telling them he’s feeling sick, that he’s feeling scared, but he’d rather die.

The starting pistol sounds. He runs. Not too fast; he knows he has to save his energy. He took all of his races seriously, even though he had beaten all of his pursuers by miles, and probably could have done so in an easier jog. Even though he could appeal the match if he was caught by someone he didn't want, he didn’t want to be caught just out of principle.

Behind him, the pistol sounds again. Shizuo has been set loose. He speeds up by instinct, forces himself to slow down. He has to pace himself.

He runs over rice fields and country tracks, flies by lakes and trees. Birds sing over his head. It is a beautiful spring day, not too hot. Almost pleasant. He sneaks a glance behind him, and is startled by how close Shizuo is getting.

_ What the hell is he doing?  _

Obviously trying to freak Izaya out, in revenge for all those years of torment. And perhaps Izaya had slowed without realising it, being used to more human pursuers. But Izaya can easily widen the gap. He is not worried. 

It doesn’t occur to Izaya that Shizuo also took the pursuit seriously, that he had been throwing extra heavy trashcans and drinking extra milk.

About three quarters of the way into the pursuit, Izaya looks back and finds Shizuo is even closer. He wants to yell back to him and ask what the hell he’s doing, but he’s scared his voice will spur Shizo on and slow himself down. Clearly the protozoan had lost his mind, thought only of catching Izaya and not of being matched with him as a result.

Izaya can see the beach, the finish line. The sun glimmers on the waves. He puts on a final burst of speed, sensing Shizuo do the same. Everything starts to blur. He is so _close._

Then something smacks against his foot, stumbling him, and Shizuo crashes into him without warning, his weight pinning him to the ground. In the distance, the crowd screams with delight.

“...Shit,” Shizuo says. He is panting. They both are. He moves off Izaya and frowns. “Hey, are you OK?”

Izaya turns away, blinking tears. Reporters come to gibber at them and shove cameras in their faces. Fortunately Shizuo recovers his breath enough to scream at them.

What happens next is a blur. They are taken to a private room with negotiators. Izaya's throbbing ankle is checked over. He doesn't ask what he tripped over. The umpire explains that falls, for either of them, did not grant any exceptions. They were now paired. He begins to read them the process of the appeal, should they wish to appeal, and Izaya gets up halfway through and locks himself in the bathroom. He puts his head in his hands.

In the next room Shizuo starts yelling at all of them that Izaya had _tripped,_ that he hadn’t _meant_ to catch him, that the whole thing was fucking stupid. Laughter and chatter comes through the bathroom window from who had enjoyed the show, enjoyed Izaya’s fall. The clip had probably gone viral already.

He wipes his eyes and takes a deep breath before throwing open the door. He glares at the umpire and the negotiators.

“Get out.”

“We still need to -”

“You heard him,” Shizuo snaps. “Get out.”

When they’re alone, Izaya turns his glare on Shizuo, who has the decency to lower his head.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” the informant hisses. “How could you be so stupid? You fucking monster, what have you done?”

“I was only trying to scare you! I didn't think I'd actually catch you.” 

Izaya storms away from him and sits on a chair with his back turned. 

“Are you crying?” This apparently disturbs Shizuo more than their match. He stands before the informant helplessly, not knowing what to do, then kneels in front of the other man and puts a hesitant hand on his knee. “Look, we’ll appeal it. People appeal these things all the time, it’s nothing. My brother did it before he met Ruri, and it was really fast. You’re not...look, it’s just a dumb tradition. You’re not actually stuck with me.”

Izaya wipes his eyes and says nothing.

Shiki will not want him if he has been caught by another alpha, even if they appeal. Perhaps no-one would want him. Which was fine, which was what he wanted anyway, but still... He pushes Shizuo’s hand off his knee and stands up.

“I’ll be right back.”

He manages to make it to the executive lounge without reporters or Erika jumping in his face, and just in time too, as Shiki appears to be leaving.

“Buy me out,” Izaya blurts, before the older man can speak.

“What?”

“Please. I know you can. I’ve never asked you for anything before.”

“You don’t need me to buy you out, just appeal it. He doesn’t exactly seem happy either.”

Izaya grabs Shiki’s sleeve before he can turn away.

“I don’t want it to be an appeal. I want it to go down on record that it wasn’t right, it wasn’t a fair match. Please, Shiki-san. I know you can do these things.”

Shiki sighs. “I already lost a lot of money on you. And you’ll be expensive.”

Izaya lets go of him in surprise and hurt, and the yakuza’s eyes soften a tad.

“...Fine. I’ll see what I can do.”

-

Shizuo and Izaya are taken to their ‘celebration suite’ for the night, in one of the love hotels near the finish line.

“We don’t need it if we’re appealing,” Izaya sniffs.

“At least there’s security here. If we go home everyone will just pester us all night,” Shizuo points out.

Shizuo had called his brother, who had put them in touch with his contact from his appeal. The contact was out of town, but promised to come to them first thing in the morning with the paperwork. She was confident that it could be done with within 24 hours, and nothing in their lives would change.

“See?” Shizuo says gently. “It’ll all be all right.”

But Izaya was in no mood for gentleness. “It’s all your fucking fault.”

“I know,” he sighs. “I’m sorry.”

“Are you not going to explain yourself?”

Shizuo flares then. “You’re the one who tripped, flea. When the hell do you ever trip?”

“Why were you running so close?”

He blushes then. “Because - because people watch these things, you know? I’m not like you. No-one wants me as a match. I just wanted to show that I’m healthy, and that I can persevere when I put my mind on something…” he trails off awkwardly.

“What a ridiculous idea. You’re only wasting your own time; no-one could ever love a monster.”

“Izaya,” Shizuo warns. “Don’t start all that.”

“Why don’t you just kill me like you’ve always wanted? That’ll solve both our problems.”

“Why don’t you grow up?” Shizuo snaps back. “It’s just a stupid tradition, we’re going to appeal it, and that's it. You’re only whining because your pride is hurt.”

In response, Izaya slams himself in the bathroom and the locks the door. The tub is heart-shaped. Hopefully Shizuo will smash it later.

His disgust with the tub doesn't keep him from a long, long soak, soothing his aching muscles. 

Shizuo takes a bath after him, apparently too tired to break the tub or anything else, and then they are alone, in a room that didn’t have much more than a bed in it. Both of them were aching and unthrilled at the idea of sleeping on the floor.

“I might stay up,” Izaya says. “It’s only for one night.”

“We’ve run fifty fucking miles,” Shizuo points out. “ _I’m_ not staying up.”

“Fine, but we’re keeping our clothes on.”

In the middle of the night, when he thinks Shizuo is asleep, he can’t keep himself from crying again. He tries not to shake the bed.

“Izaya.” Shizuo puts his hand on the informant’s shoulder, carefully, as if it might burn him. “C’mon. Why are you so upset? I’ll sleep on the fucking floor if it means that much to you.”

“You don’t know what it’s like,” he blurts. “Being chased is not the same as chasing. With a fucking audience, who are cheering and hoping that your worst fear will come true. It only exists because so many betting rings make money off it. One of my sisters is going to go through it in a few years, and she says she’s looking forward to it and she shouldn’t, it’s fucking horrible.”

He is out of breath by the time he’s finished.

“...Maybe you’re right,” Shizuo says quietly. “But there are a lot of flawed things in the world. I don’t know what to tell you.”

“There are a lot of flawed things in the world by accident. This is an orchestrated process, that makes profit.”

“OK,” Shizuo says. “But there’s also a process for us to get out of it, so no-one’s forced to do anything they don’t want. And it makes a lot of people very happy.” He swallows. “I am sorry though.” He stays still, awkward, as Izaya continues to cry quietly. “Why are you crying? I mean, I understood all you just said, but still, it’s all going to be OK.”

“Fuck you,” he weeps.

"Izaya." Shizuo shifts closer and draws Izaya towards him, unable to help himself. 

“Shizuo, don’t fucking cuddle me in these conditions.”

“Then stop crying,” he counters. “And it’s not sexual, it’s just comforting.”

Nevertheless, Izaya starts wriggling like a cat.

“Izaya,” Shizuo says impatiently. Then he makes an effort to sound soothing. “You’re worn out. I get it. But this is all gonna be fine. Just relax and go to sleep. You’ll feel better in the morning.”

“Fuck you.”

But he stops wriggling.

“Don’t you want anyone at all?” Shizuo asks, very quietly, so quietly Izaya could pretend he hadn’t heard if he wanted.

“I don’t want to be hunted,” he says. “I don’t want to be wanted like that.”

Shizuo strokes his hair, feeling him calm.  His instincts are kicking in now, he knows, but he finds it hard to care. 

Sighing, Izaya also nestles back into his arms. Shizuo nuzzles him happily.

The informant feels his heart speed up.

“Shizuo,” he swallows. “I think it’s time to let go now.”

“Not yet,” he murmurs, muffled in Izaya’s hair. “Please. Five more minutes...”

-

Kasuka’s contact knocks when they are still in each other’s arms. They stare at each other, stricken. Shizuo looks away first, uncomfortable.

“There’s no need to look so fucking horrified.”

The knock comes again, and someone calls through the door. “Heiwajima-san? I was recommended by your brother. You said it was an emergency…?”

After they had dressed, the contact delicately going for a quick coffee to give them time, they have an awkward conversation in which they’re told, as they had consummated their relationship, it would take a little longer to appeal. It was still perfectly possible, the authorities were just being extra stringent these days because there were so many dodgy operations run by the yakuza and other dealers. They had to make sure everything was above board.

“We just need to provide some evidence for your appeal, that’s all, ideally with references. I understand from your, uh, history, that that shouldn’t be a problem. It’ll take maybe a week.”

Neither of them speak. Shizuo is watching Izaya in the corner of his eye, who looks as though he might be sick.

“So everyone will know,” Izaya says flatly.

“No, we will be completely discreet.”

“But if the appeal takes a week rather than a day people will know why.”

His phone pings then. Shiki. He tunes everything else out as he opens the text, heart sinking. 

_ Done what you asked. Meet me in the car outside your hotel. _

“I have to go,” he blurts. They both look at him in surprise. “Shizuo, take care of the paperwork and let me know what I need to do on my side.”

He leaves them both looking bewildered.

The car is waiting for him outside like a panther. Izaya takes a deep breath before he opens the door. He hopes, insanely, that Shiki won’t be able to tell the difference.

In vain. The other man is livid before Izaya’s even shut the door behind him.

“You slept with him?”

Izaya can’t meet his eyes. “I’m sorry, Shiki-san.”

“After you begged me to help you? Do you know how hard it was for me to buy you out? And I don’t just mean the money. I’ve been up half the night over this.”

Izaya says nothing. 

Shiki pinches the bridge of his nose between his fingers. “Hideo, please step outside for a while.”

Izaya flinches as the chauffeur steps out without a word and locks all the doors behind him.

“I’m not going to hurt you," Shiki says impatiently. "Tell me what happened? He didn’t rape you?”

“No.”

“And I suppose we can’t say he raped you.”

Izaya frowns. “No.” 

He swallows in the silence that follows, unable to bear it. “I’ll pay you back Shiki-san, I swear I will. I have savings, I have contacts -”

Shiki waves him off. “Don’t be ridiculous. No, we’ll just go ahead as planned and make the best of it. I’ve bought you out so you don’t even need to appeal. Heiwajima can kick up a fuss, but he shouldn’t do if he never wanted you in the first place.” He looks at Izaya and goes very still. “You don’t want to stay with him?”

“No, I...I don’t know,” he mutters. “Look Shiki-san, I’ve run fifty miles, I’m tired, and I’m meant to make these life changing decisions just like that?”

“You’ve been familiar with the process for a while,” he points out. “And in the past you’ve always claimed to enjoy it, laughing at the losers.”

Izaya bends his head, unable to argue.

Shiki lights a cigarette and takes a long pull on it.

“We’ll go ahead as planned,” he repeats. “Don’t bother appealing.”

“What if I’m pregnant?” Izaya says timidly.

Shiki’s fingers twitch.

“We’ll cross that bridge if we come to it.”

He unlocks the doors.

“Go inside and tell him you’re coming home with me. He'll receive confirmation soon that the pursuit was void.”

Izaya doesn’t move.

“What?” He takes Izaya’s hand then, his voice changing. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m annoyed, but I’m not going to hold it against you.”

Izaya swallows. “Thank you.” 

"And the whole virgin thing is so old-fashioned. I'm disappointed, but it doesn't really matter."

Shiki starts caressing his hand, but Izaya takes it away.

“Please can I just pay you out, Shiki-san? Last night I felt…”

Shiki draws back in exasperation. “You’re an idiot, Izaya.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“Heiwajima wants to appeal. He doesn’t want you.”

“He might. It was me who was making such a fuss about it. And he initiated things last night.”

“You won’t be able to afford it.”

“I will. Just give me some time.”

“I had to bail you out in less than 24 hours," he points out. He takes a sheet of paper our of his pocket. "Here's a copy of what I paid for you. I'll give you 48 hours."

Izaya swallows at the number.

“Fine. You’ll have that in 48 hours. Just let me know where you’d like to meet.”

“Fine. And Izaya.” Izaya hesitates with his hand on the door. “I’m sorry I blew up at you. I hope you’re not running just because I scared you.”

Izaya looks at him with contempt. “You wouldn’t want me if I scared over things like that.”

Shiki smiles for the first time. “That’s true.”

He gets out of the car, and goes back to Shizuo.

Shizuo is pouring over the appeal paperwork with his hands in his hair, looking like he did in high school when trying to understand algebra. The thought squeezes Izaya’s heart.

Shizuo looks relieved to see Izaya, but then annoyed.

“Where’ve you been?”

Izaya swallows. “Do you like me, Shizu-chan?”

“What?” Shizuo stares at him, paperwork forgotten.

“Do you like me?” he says again, cheeks flooding. “Last night felt...right, didn’t it?”

“Yes,” Shizuo says, also colouring. “I don’t know what it’s supposed to feel like, but it was...I’m glad you…” he tails off awkwardly. Then he smiles. “So we don’t have to do all this? You want to give us a try?”

“Yes, but we have a slight problem.” 

He takes a breath and tells Shizuo about the slight problem. He braces himself, waiting for Shizuo to tear up the room in fury, to tell him to go to hell, but he only nods and appears to be thinking.

“It’s a lot of money, but we can do it. If he lets us pay in installments -”

“No, no, SHizu-chan,” Izaya interrupts, relieved he’s not being yelled at. “You don’t have to pay for anything. This is my mistake, my problem.”

Shizuo shakes his head. “No. We’re doing this together. Don’t argue,” he adds. “We haven’t got time or energy to spare. We’ve got 48 hours.”

Izaya stares at him incredulously. “You’re serious. You’re seriously going to help me.”

“Duh.”

“Are you that desperate for a partner?” he winces then, remembering Shizuo's offer of help, his tenderness last night. “Sorry.”

“It’s OK,” Shizuo says. “I do want to be with someone, yes. But it’s not just that. It’s the way I felt last night. Even before we - when you were crying...look, we don’t have _time_ for this, flea.”

“All right, all right.” He shakes his head. “Who’d have thought Shizu-chan could be so practical.”

“I’m not as useless a partner as you think.”

Izaya looks at him uneasily, but Shizuo is already turning away, making a call to Tom.

-

24 hours later, on no sleep, after visits to the bank, phone calls and a lot of coffee, they have a third of the sum they need.

“We still have time,” Shizuo keeps saying.

Izaya gets up to make more coffee. Shiki calls when he reaches the kitchen.

“Izaya,” he says, smooth as honey. “I’ve been thinking, this is ridiculous. You said yourself, you’re worn out and this is a life changing decision. So why don’t we do this; you come with me, we forget about the money, and you can leave me any time. We can have a trial period, of sorts. No pressure.” He pauses and adds quietly. “You’ve thought about me before, I know you have.”

“I’m sorry Shiki-san,” is all he can say. 

The other man sighs. “In that case, if you're sure, just give me half the money. No point in the two of you starting out in life bankrupt.”

“Half?!”

Shizuo looks up sharply at his tone of delight.

“Yes. So I at least get some of my money back.”

-

Two minutes before Shiki is due to arrive, Izaya and Shizuo count what they have. They are 100 000 yen short. 

“100, 000 is nothing,” Izaya says uncomfortably. “I’ll give him my computer, my TV, my phones. It’s the same thing.”

“Sure.” Shizuo wraps him in a hug. “We did it.”

“Well. Shiki hasn’t agreed yet.”

“Yes, but still, we did all this together. You can’t hate me that much,” he teases.

Izaya hums and leans against him. More than anything he wants to crawl into bed and sleep in Shizuo's arms.

“Pity we don’t have any money," he muses. "Because I could really do with a proper honeymoon.”

“Don’t think like that.”

The doorbell goes them. Izaya sighs and lets go.

They sit at the table, and Izaya asks Shizuo to make tea, not wanting to think about what would happen if he left them alone together. The money is on the table in piles but Izaya doesn’t start counting it out yet, not wanting to begin the discussion without Shizuo.

“This is all of it?” Shiki asks.

Izaya glances at the kitchen, willing Shizuo to hurry up.

“Well, actually we are 100, 000 short. But my computer, my TV, my phones even, anything else you want, will cover that.”

“I’m not having a jumble sale, Izaya.”

“I understand that, but first thing tomorrow I can go straight out and sell them, and then you’ll have the full amount.”

“But we didn’t agree on first thing tomorrow. We agreed on right now.”

“We haven’t slept the past 48 hours.” Shizuo charges back in the room, tealess, apparently having overheard. He sits at Izaya’s side, while Shiki narrows his eyes. “It’s not like we’ve been napping and doing nothing.”

“I already cut the amount in half." Shiki says coldly. "I think that’s generous enough.”

“Yeah, but you’re a Yakuza executive. We’re normal people. How are we supposed to get that amount of money in such a short amount of time?”

Izaya is too worn out to even make a comment about Shizuo not being normal.

“Well, perhaps Izaya shouldn’t go round begging people to spend it on him," Shiki says smoothly. "I didn’t do it out of spite. He asked me, he begged me, to buy him from you.”

Shizuo doesn't blink. “And now he’s saying he made a mistake.”

Shiki doesn’t show it, but he’s mildly impressed with Heiwajima. He looks at them together, how close together they are unconsciously sitting, how they had worked together, and wonders if maybe, maybe, he was letting his alpha instincts get the better of him over decency and basic common sense. He had made a lot of money on Izaya over the years from his pursuits. Far more than what he was asking from them now. He sighs. 

“Keep it.”

They stare at him.

“What?”

“You heard me. Keep it. And I'll make sure your match isn't void.” He sits back, and his gut tells him he’s done the right thing. “But I want you both to remember this. Especially when it comes to rival groups sniffing around for information.” He looks at Izaya, who bows in acknowledgement.

“So we went through all that for nothing?” Shizuo blurts.

Shiki throws him a look of impatience. “I can take it anyway if it’ll make you feel better.”

“No, no…”

He returns his gaze to Izaya. 

“Yes, keep it. It was my money, not Awakusu funds, and there are more important things in life than money.”

Izaya protests feebly. “You must let us give you something Shiki san -”

Shiki waves him off. “Spend it on a proper wedding, or something.”

He leaves them before they can offer much more argument.

“He really loves you,” Shizuo says. He sounds odd.

“He doesn’t,” Izaya says, after some thought. “He was just being a stupid alpha and he realised it. He doesn’t do pettiness.”

Shizuo nods slowly. "I think I could sleep for a year. You coming?"

-

Not long after they had returned the money to their bank accounts and their lenders, after they had decided to get an apartment in neither Ikebukuro or Shinjuku, Izaya finds himself throwing up in the morning.

“You know what that means, don’t you?” Namie drawls.

“Nausea and vomiting can mean many things, Namie. Perhaps it’s the plague and I’ll give it to you.”

She rolls her eyes and looks away, as Izaya puts his hand on his stomach and smiles. 

**Author's Note:**

> A shikizaya alternate ending is coming in chapter 2.


End file.
